October 17, 2026
The Commander of the US Central Command (Centcom), Brad Cooper, confirmed on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to maritime traffic despite the Iranian attacks, noting that about 400 commercial ships have crossed during the past seven days.
In a video message, Cooper explained that the United States and its regional partners “control the Strait,” pointing out that American forces helped the allies ship more than 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period, adding that Washington is working with regional partners and the shipping sector to enhance the protection of commercial ships, in parallel with clearing the Strait of Iranian naval mines and confronting attacks.
Cooper accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of continuing to target commercial ships, based on data from the International Maritime Organization, which reported that more than 20 civilian sailors had been killed as a result of Iranian attacks on shipping since last February.
In terms of sanctions and economic pressure, Cooper stated that American measures succeeded in preventing Iran from exporting crude oil worth no less than $25 billion, in conjunction with Centcom’s support for other American parties in freezing crypto-currency assets estimated at about $350 million.
He stressed that the naval blockade imposed on Iran is still in effect, and that its naval exports and imports have been completely halted, with the exception of permitted humanitarian aid shipments, considering that these measures have caused severe damage to the Iranian security apparatus and the Revolutionary Guard, and reduced Tehran’s ability to finance groups loyal to it and compensate for weapons and facilities destroyed by American forces.
Cooper stated that these financial pressures had a negative impact on the payment of salaries, pensions, and benefits in several vital sectors in Iran, including oil, energy, manufacturing, construction, and security, including members of the Revolutionary Guard, pointing to reports that armed groups loyal to Iran have stopped payments to their members in order to transfer funds to the Revolutionary Guard, which in turn is facing difficulties in paying the dues of its forces.
In the context of military operations, Cooper reviewed the results of the American campaign that lasted 38 days over the past months, stressing that it contributed to reducing Iran’s ability to carry out foreign operations, in addition to targeting its naval forces, weapons factories, and the capabilities of launching ballistic missiles and drones.
Cooper concluded by stressing that more than 50,000 American military personnel deployed in the Middle East continue to work side by side with regional partners to protect navigation and confront Iranian threats and attacks.
